US6912503B1 - Multistage data purchase with mobile information ordering and docking station receipt - Google Patents

Abstract

A multistage information purchasing system comprises a vehicle onboard computer configured to arrange for the purchase of information through a wireless communications network. The vendor from whom the information has been purchased indicates a proximate docking station from which the purchased information is available and the vehicle is directed to that docking station. At the docking station, the consumer downloads the purchased information to the onboard computer for later manipulation or use. Alternatively, the consumer may abort the transaction if it is inconvenient to travel to the docking station.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is related to concurrently filed, commonly invented, commonly assigned application Ser. No. 09/483,281, entitled MULTISTAGE FORECOURT DATA ORDER AND/OR PURCHASE and Ser. No. 09/483,079, entitled RETAILING AUDIO FILES IN A FUEL DISPENSING ENVIRONMENT, both of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a system and method enabling consumers to purchase information from their vehicle while traveling and subsequently retrieving the information so purchased at a docking station such as a fueling environment.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Humans are naturally cursed with finite information gathering senses. Without omniscience, humans must rely on secondary sources for much of the information on which they make daily decisions. The ability to access information on which these decisions are made is an ever evolving process. While the Information Age has made available vast quantities of information in today's society, there is no guarantee that an individual has access to any of this information. However, advances in information gathering are keeping individuals abreast of and on top of the enormous amounts of information available.

Initially, radio and television helped keep individuals abreast of current events and other desired information. Telephones let people stay in touch so that people could stay on top of different sorts of information, like family news and other random gossip. More recently, networked computers have created and provided the Internet, and more specifically, the World Wide Web, with its myriad information sources. Networked computers have also allowed people to purchase items or information such as hotel reservations, airline tickets and the like from the convenience of their home or office computer.

However, networked computers have suffered from the fact that they must have a phone line or equivalent physical link to access the desired information. While cellular phones, wireless modems, and other wireless devices are proliferating and seemingly eliminating the need for the physical link, presently bandwidth limitations preclude such devices from being truly effective information gathering devices. That is, downloading a large quantity of information requires an extended amount of time, and since most cellular customers pay for each minute, the cost associated with these lengthy downloads rapidly becomes prohibitive. Higher bandwidth through cellular service, if available, is also more expensive, although the transmission times may be reduced.

In an effort to help promote the convergence of information gathering devices, Marconi Commerce Systems Inc., assignee of the present invention, has provided, in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/896,988, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,052,629 which is herein incorporated by reference, an Internet capable fuel dispenser allowing consumers to remain connected to the Internet even during the mundane task of fueling their vehicle. Additionally, a family of patents to Smith exists, such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,914,654 and 5,806,018, which are incorporated by reference, that teaches techniques of allowing consumers to purchase information through a fuel dispenser. Specifically, Smith contemplates the existence of effective onboard computers that may receive information through the fuel dispensers for manipulation by the consumer from within the vehicle. However, Smith teaches that the information may be purchased only at the fuel dispenser and delivered therefrom. This requires that the consumer select, purchase, and receive the information during a single visit to the fueling environment. This may result in inefficient use of time at the fueling environment. Furthermore, the type of information available for purchase is limited by the resources available to the fuel dispenser. That is, if the fuel dispenser only has access to certain resources, the consumer may only purchase information from those certain resources. If the consumer desires information from another source, she is out of luck.

Thus, the problem exists that information cannot be purchased from a source such as a vehicle and delivered at another separate location or area.

SUMMARY

The present invention assists information consumers in purchasing desired information while promoting the efficient use of the consumers' time during the transaction. Specifically, a consumer may locate desired information and purchase the information through an onboard computer over a wireless network. However, to conserve bandwidth on the wireless network, the consumer is directed to the closest docking station at which the consumer may download or access the information. This may be coupled with detailed instructions on how to reach the closest docking station such as may be accomplished with onboard navigation aids.

Additionally, if the consumer decides that it is too inconvenient to reach the designated docking station, the consumer may abort the transaction and receive a refund or credit to the financial account from which the purchase was authorized. In a preferred embodiment, the docking station is a fueling environment that the consumer may be inclined to visit independently of the information transaction. This convergence of desires may prompt the consumer to choose a fueling environment with a docking station over a fueling station without a docking station to receive the purchased information. In this manner, fueling environments and their forecourt devices that act as docking stations may have a competitive edge over fueling environments that do not so act. Alternate docking stations may be travel rest areas, roadside kiosks, or the like.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a vehicle incorporating an onboard computer as may be used in the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the onboard computer ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic depiction of the communications network adapted to support the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a preferred docking station as used in the present invention;

FIG. 5 shows the vehicle ofFIG. 1 receiving information at a terminal in the docking station ofFIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a flow chart of the method of the present invention; and

FIG. 7 is a flow chart of an alternate embodiment of the method of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention is adapted to provide a method to vend information to a consumer's onboard computer for later consumption. Specifically, the transaction surrounding the transfer of information is a multistage transaction. However, to achieve this end, the consumer requires a vehicle with an onboard computer having an input device, an output device, and the ability to transfer information to the onboard computer. The particular type of information vended includes, but is not limited to: hotel reservations, stock quotes, airline reservations, travel conditions, weather information, and the like.

Turning now to the drawings,FIG. 1 shows avehicle10 equipped with anonboard computer12, anantenna14, and areceiver16. Theonboard computer12 is operatively connected to thereceiver16. Additionally, atransmitter18 may be operatively connected to both theonboard computer12 and theantenna14.

As seen inFIG. 2, theonboard computer12 includes acentral processing unit20, which in turn is operatively connected to adisplay22, aninput device24, adisk drive26, and atransceiver28, which includes both thereceiver16 and thetransmitter18.Display22 may be a conventional video display such as is commonly found on laptop computers or it may be integrated with theinput device24 as a touchscreen or the like.Input device24 may be a mouse, a keyboard, a joystick, or other well known input device as needed or desired.Disk drive26 may be any sort of drive, which accepts a portable storage medium and reads data therefrom. Thus, floppy drives, CD-ROM drives, optical drives, and the like are all within the scope of the term “disk drive.” Thetransceiver28 may operate in the electromagnetic spectrum, preferably in the RF range, and may operate as a cellular communications device, a conventional radio receiver, or other device as needed or desired. Additionally, thecomputer12 may include a Global Positioning System (GPS)locator29. This may be integrated withcomputer12 or merely communicatively connected thereto as needed or desired.

It should be appreciated that theonboard computer12 may be positioned in any number of places within thevehicle10, and may be dispersed or integrated into a single housing as needed or desired. For example, thedisplay22 and theinput device24 could be positioned in the steering wheel, with theCPU20 positioned in the trunk of the vehicle; or theentire computer12 could be positioned on the passenger side dashboard.Onboard computer12 may be a separate unit in thevehicle10, or it may be integrated into a vehicle component such as a radio. Additionally, theonboard computer12 may be a laptop computer that has a hook up station within thevehicle10, much like cellular phones have in-vehicle hands free stations. Other placements are possible and within the scope of the present invention.

Equipped with such anonboard computer12, a consumer may purchase information pursuant the present invention as better shown in FIG.3. Specifically, the consumer may use theonboard computer12 to send an information purchase request through theantenna14 into awireless network30.Wireless network30 may be a conventional cellular network or a satellite based network or some hybrid thereof and preferably includes asatellite32 and abase station34 which act as relays for communications from thevehicle10 to anetwork host antenna36.Network host antenna36 is operatively connected to anetwork computer38 that communicates with remoteinformation providing computers40 over a land basednetwork42.Network computer38 manages thenetwork30 and may be a MSC or the like with a Home Location Register (HLR), a Vehicle Location Register (VLR) and other supporting attributes as are well understood in the wireless communication industry. While indicated as a land basednetwork42, it is possible that thenetwork42 be wireless. However, given the information transfer rates desired, and the present limitations on wireless communications, such is not desired.

Remoteinformation providing computers40 are connected over a second land basednetwork44 to adocking station50 from which the consumer may receive information.Networks42 and44 may be part of the Internet, a proprietary network, or the like as needed or desired.Docking station50 includes asite controller52, which may act as a local server and downloads information from the remoteinformation providing computers40, or alternatively acts as a conduit for information from thecomputers40 to pass through.

Docking station50 is better understood through reference to FIG.4. In the preferred embodiment, thedocking station50 is a fueling environment withmultiple information dispensers54 dispersed in the forecourt. While a fueling environment is preferred, other dedicated docking stations, roadside kiosks, or other vehicle accommodating retail establishments could work comparably. Afull fueling environment50 may include aQuick Serve Restaurant56, one ormore fuel dispensers58, acar wash60, aconvenience store62, and perhaps adedicated information terminal64. Each such element within the fuelingenvironment50 may include aninformation dispenser54. Eachinformation dispenser54 may be communicatively coupled to thesite controller52 and through thesite controller52 to the remoteinformation providing computers40, such as through thenetwork44.

As better seen inFIG. 5, aninformation dispenser54 may include acontrol system66 that communicates with thesite controller52 and operatively controls atransceiver68.Transceiver68 may not be a true transceiver, but includes at a minimum a transmitter adapted to communicate with thevehicle10 through wireless communication received by thevehicle10 through theantenna14. This wireless communication, because it is at relatively short distances compared to the distances involved innetwork30 may be much greater bandwidth communications links. With the greater bandwidth, transmission times are reduced and the consumer economizes the time spent downloading the information.

When the consumer, andvehicle10, first arrive in thedocking station50, thevehicle10 must identify itself to theinformation dispenser54. To this end, theonboard computer12 may perform a radio frequency “handshake” such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,956,259, which is hereby incorporated by reference. Transponders or the like may be used or other equivalent technologies, such as are used in automated fuel purchasing transactions.

As discussed in commonly invented application Ser. No. 09/483,281, entitled MULTISTAGE FORECOURT DATA ORDER AND/OR PURCHASE, previously incorporated by reference, the data transfer may be to an intermediate device, such as a portable playback device, a portable memory device or the like.

The communication links between therespective information dispensers54 and thesite controller52 may also be wireless, a dedicated line, a local area network, or the like. In the preferred embodiment, after thevehicle10 has identified itself to thesite controller52 through aninformation dispenser54, thesite controller52 activates theappropriate information dispenser54 within thedocking station50 as needed to complete the information transfer. As further described in previously incorporated application Ser. No. 09/483,281, entitled MULTISTAGE FORECOURT DATA ORDER ANT/OR PURCHASE, the information may be dispensed from a plurality ofinformation dispensers54 as the consumer moves thevehicle10 about the fueling environment forecourt. To this end, thesite controller52 must keep track of the whereabouts of thevehicle10 within thedocking station50. This may be accomplished with appropriate transponder technology as was explained in U.S. Pat. No. 5,956,259, previously incorporated by reference. Alternatively, the consumer may be issued a receipt or other indicia that indicates that the consumer has already purchased the information, but still needs to receive the information so purchased. For example, as part of the receipt from a fueling transaction, the consumer could receive a bar code, or be provided an electronic code number that the vehicleonboard computer12 then transmits as needed to secure an information download. While not preferred, the consumer could swipe a credit card, a smart card, or other payment means at asecond information dispenser54. The account number associated with the payment means would then act as authorization for an information download, even though no additional financial activity took place. Rather the account number is merely an identification mechanism that thedocking station50 could use to make sure that the appropriate person was receiving the information download.

With the components of the present invention explicated, the preferred method may now be explained with reference to FIG.6. Initially, a consumer decides that she needs to access and/or purchase a particular bit of information (block100). As noted above, this information may be an airline ticket, a hotel reservation, other travel arrangements, travel information, weather information, music, video, movies, software such as games, MP3 or the like equivalents of audio books, or the like as needed or desired by the consumer. As the sources of information continue to proliferate on the World Wide Web, so to will the types of information that consumers desire to purchase proliferate. Thus, information as used herein is meant to be construed broadly. The consumer then orders the desired information through a wireless device in the vehicle10 (block102). This may be theonboard computer12 or other comparable device, and may be done overwireless network30.

Typically, it will be inefficient to use thenetwork30 to deliver the purchased information because of bandwidth concerns, thus the information will not be delivered thereby. However, payment authorization may be done through the network30 (block104). Payment authorization may be prepaid and debited from the account, by a credit card account or the like as needed or desired. That is, as part of the information purchase request, the wireless device, such as theonboard computer12, communicates payment account information, such as a credit card number. Appropriate communications take place to secure payment as is well understood in the art.

Meanwhile, thenetwork computer38 proceeds to locate the purchased information on the remote information providing computers40 (block106). Additionally, thenetwork host computer38 may act as the “intelligence” of the transaction and work to accept the information order, secure payment authorization and the like, or thenetwork host computer38 can act as a conduit to an e-commerce provider or the like as needed or desired. The remoteinformation providing computers40 will have a list of authorizeddocking stations50 at which the consumer may receive delivery of the purchased information. This may be comparable to a Neighbor List in cellular phone technology. From this list, or comparable information, the decision will be made, either by thenetwork computer38 or the remoteinformation providing computer40 which is anappropriate docking station50 and where it is located (block108). Alternately, a list of a fewalternate docking stations50 may be provided, with the consumer selecting the desired location either through a prompted response or by showing up at one of the indicateddocking stations50. It may be desirable from a vendor point of view to provide the docking station information only after payment is secured. Theonboard computer12 may additionally send positional location such as is provided by a Global Positioning System (GPS)29. From this information, the computer deciding whichdocking station50 is appropriate may make a more informed decision. Additionally, consumer preferences may be indicated and taken into account in deciding whatdocking station50 the consumer is informed of (block110). For example, the consumer may have indicated a preference for a certain brand ofdocking station50, such as BP®, SHELL®, or EXXON®. Such consumer preferences may also take the form of certain types ofdocking stations50. For example, the consumer may prefer to receive information from adocking station50 that is compatible with a particular type ofnetwork30 or that the consumer already has an established account with. In the preferred embodiment, such preference predefined by the consumer are stored in theonboard computer12 and transmitted by thetransmitter18 during a purchase before thenetwork30 sends back theparticular docking station50 for the consumer to retrieve purchased information. In an alternative embodiment, the preferences may be entered into theonboard computer12 by the consumer at the time of purchase either at the consumer's own initiative or by query from thenetwork30 if such feature is provided by thenetwork30.

As part of informing the consumer of the nearest appropriate docking station50 (block110), the consumer may additionally be provided with directions thereto (block112). Many GPSs are integrating maps and directional aids that would be useful for this purpose. The consumer must then decide whether to proceed with the transaction (block114). If the answer is no, then the transaction may be canceled, and the consumer receive a refund to her payment account (block116). This may occur when the docking station is substantially out of the intended travel path of the consumer, or in a location to which the consumer does not with to travel.

However, if the consumer decides to consummate the transaction, the consumer may then travel to the indicated docking station50 (block118). It is possible that payment accounting could be done at this point rather than prior to providing directions to thedocking station50. In this manner, the information purchase could potentially be integrated into another transaction or more conveniently performed without the risk of a credit card number being compromised over a cellular network or the like. At the docking station the consumer may approach aninformation dispenser54, such as afuel dispenser58 and download the information to the onboard computer2 (block120). This may be done wirelessly as previously discussed, the consumer could pick up a portable storage medium such as a disk with the information contained thereon, or the consumer could provide a portable storage device or portable playback device. In the event that theinformation dispenser54 provides a disk, the disk would have been purposefully prepared with the customized ordered information in the time it took for the consumer to travel to the,docking station50. The consumer could place the disk into thedisk drive26 and proceed about her merry way.

While it is assumed that the consumer proceeds with some degree of haste to thedocking station50, there is no absolute requirement that this be done. The consumer may leisurely arrive the next day at the designateddocking station50 and retrieve the information is so desired. However, to prevent excessive demands on the memory at thedocking station50, there may be a time limit imposed on the consumer to retrieve the information. Thus, for example, the information may be deleted after six hours regardless of whether the information has been retrieved.

Also there are permutations on the technique used to select anappropriate docking station50. Thedocking station50 may be selected by the type of information ordered. That is, onlycertain docking stations50 can provide the type of information ordered, so the consumer is directed to only those sorts ofdocking stations50. Alternatively, if anydocking station50 can provide the consumer with the ordered information, then theclosest docking station50 may be indicated. Still further,docking stations50 may form alliances similar to ATMs, and have brand names like HONOR®, PLUS®, CIRRUS®, MAC®, PULSE®, AFFN®, or the like. The consumer may only be able to use a subset of the total number ofdocking stations50, and thus the directions provided are to one of the approveddocking station50. Yet further, the consumer may indicate a preference for a particular type ofdocking station50. For example, if the consumer owns BP® stock and wishes to patronize BP® docking stations50, the directions may indicate the closest BP® docking station50, even though that is not the closestavailable docking station50.

An alternate methodology is presented in FIG.7. In contrast to the method ofFIG. 6, wherein the consumer was alerted topotential docking stations50, the consumer in the alternate methodology arrives at adocking station50, informs the docking station of her arrival, and then proceeds to download the purchased information. Turning now toFIG. 7, the consumer decides that she needs information (block200). The consumer orders the information through a wireless device within thevehicle10, such as the onboard computer12 (block202). This is done over thewireless network30. As discussed above, some computer authorizes payment (block204) and secures the desired information.

Meanwhile the consumer travels to a docking station50 (block206). This may be the next encountereddocking station50, or the closest one with which the consumer is familiar or the like. In contrast to the previous methodology, the consumer arrives at thedocking station50 without prompting by the information provider. At thedocking station50, the consumer identifies herself as the purchaser of the information (block208). This may be done with a “handshake” or other appropriate identifying information. The identifying information may be provided by the remoteinformation providing computers40 or other computer as needed. The identifying information may be provided to theinformation dispenser54 or to thesite controller52 or the like as needed or desired, but thedocking station50 then retrieves the information over a high speed communications link (block210) such as a T-1 or T-3 line. The consumer then receives the ordered information (block214) in any of the aforedescribed techniques or their equivalents.

It should be appreciated that this alternate methodology results in some delay before the information may transferred to the consumer, however, this may be undetectable if an appropriate high speed communications link is in place. This allows the consumer to select a desired docking station, such as one they are previously familiar with, and arrive at their convenience rather than at the instruction of a third party or computer.

The present invention may, of course, be carried out in other specific ways than those herein set forth without departing from the spirit and essential characteristics of the invention. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.

Claims (22)

1. A computer implemented method for selling information, comprising:

accepting an electronic order for information from a consumer through an onboard device in a vehicle, when said vehicle is in a first location and in the process of traveling to a destination;

receiving payment for the ordered information;

receiving an electronic indication from the consumer relating to a preference relating to docking stations;

informing the consumer of one or more docking stations from which the consumer may retrieve the ordered information, wherein informing comprises providing the consumer with positional information relating to the one or more docking stations that conform to the preference; and

electronically delivering the ordered information to the consumer at a docking station in a second location remote from said first location.

2. The method ofclaim 1 wherein the preference relates to a brand of preferred docking stations.

3. The method ofclaim 1 wherein informing the consumer of the one or more docking stations comprises informing the consumer of a docking station closest to the consumer and the first location.

4. The method ofclaim 1 wherein the preference relates to a type of docking station such that the docking station is compatible with communication equipment associated with the consumer.

5. The method ofclaim 1 further comprising accepting a consumer identifying code at the docking station to ensure that the information is delivered to a proper consumer.

6. The method ofclaim 1 wherein the step of delivering the information to the consumer is done wirelessly.

7. The method ofclaim 1 wherein the step of accepting an order for information is achieved through a wireless network.

8. The method ofclaim 1 further comprising providing directions between the first location and the second location to the consumer.

9. The method ofclaim 1 further comprising accepting an order cancellation instruction.

10. The method ofclaim 1 wherein receiving payment comprises receiving payment subsequent to accepting the order.

11. The method ofclaim 10 wherein receiving payment comprises receiving payment proximate in time to the step of delivering the information.

12. The method ofclaim 1 further comprising accessing a computer positioned remotely from the first location and the second location and retrieving the information.

13. The method ofclaim 1 wherein delivering the information comprises downloading the information to an onboard computer.

14. The method ofclaim 1 wherein prior to delivering, the method further comprises correlating the information to the consumer at the docking station.

15. The method ofclaim 14 wherein said information is delivered to an in-vehicle onboard device for subsequent manipulation thereby.

16. The method ofclaim 14 wherein delivering the information comprises delivering the information to an intermediate device.

17. The method ofclaim 1 wherein the preference relates to a type of network with which the consumer has an established account.

18. The method ofclaim 1 wherein receiving an indication from the consumer relating to a preference relating to docking stations comprises receiving the indication prior to the consumer placing an order for the information.

19. The method ofclaim 1 wherein receiving an indication from the consumer relating to a preference relating to docking stations comprises receiving the indication as part of an order for the information.

20. The method ofclaim 1 wherein providing the consumer with positional information relating to the one or more docking stations that conform to the preference comprises providing the consumer with positional information relating to docking stations in a fueling environment.

21. A system for selling information to a consumer in a moving vehicle, comprising:

means to receive instructions from an onboard device in the consumer's moving vehicle requesting the purchase of information when the comsumer's moving vehicle is in a first location;

means for receiving an indication from the consumer relating to a preference relating to docking stations;

means for informing the consumer of one or more docking stations from which the consumer may retrieve purchased information, wherein informing comprises providing the consumer with positional information relating to the one or more docking stations that conform to the preference;

means for delivering directions to the one or more docking stations for the consumer's use; and

means for delivering the purchased information to the consumer at a docking station in a second location remote from said first location.

22. A system for selling information, comprising:

a wireless network with a control system, said control system adapted to:

accept an order for information from a consumer through an onboard device in a vehicle, when said vehicle is in a first location and in the process of traveling to a destination;

receive payment for the ordered information;

receive an indication from the consumer relating to a preference relating to docking stations;

inform the consumer of one or more docking stations from which the consumer may retrieve the ordered information, wherein informing comprises providing the consumer with positional information relating to the one or more docking stations that conform to the preference; and

deliver the ordered information to the consumer at a docking station in a second location remote from said first location.

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